Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah, has described the news of his invitation by the Department of State Service (DSS) as untrue and fake.

Director Social Communication Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Christopher Omotosho, while speaking on behalf of the Catholic bishop, also advised the public to ignore the rumour.

He said the news that the bishop was summoned for questioning by the DSS regarding his Christmas message cannot be true because the bishop is yet to receive either call or mail from the DSS.

The social media was awash, at the weekend, with stories of the summoning of the bishop by the DSS, a situation that has elicited relations from many Nigerians.

The youth wing of the Christians Association of Nigeria had earlier in a response threatened to mobilise Christian youths across the nation to accompany the bishop to the DSS headquarters in Abuja.

He, however, advised the public to discard the rumour as the bishop is yet to receive any letter either via mail or hardcopy or telephone call inviting him for any questioning whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), yesterday, advised Kukah not to honour any invitation over his Christmas message.

They observed that notable Nigerians who were invited by the DSS in a similar way were being silenced.

SOKAPU National Youth Leader, Issac John Sirjay, in a statement yesterday, while reacting to the invitation, described it as a plot to silence him over his comments in recent times.

Following this, SOKAPU youths advised Kukah not to honour the purported invitation, saying some Nigerians have fallen victim to such invitation.

The group mentioned former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, as a victim of DSS invitation.

“It observed how the operations in recent times extended invitations to some people who had at one time or the other accepted invitations, particularly persons considered to be critical of leadership style of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“We mourned the sudden demise of Mailafia of blessed memory who until his death was a dogged critic of this administration and a regular visitor at one of the DSS facilities.” (Daily Sun)

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